Most motor vehicles including automobiles, boats, motorcycles etc. are powered by reciprocating piston engines. Such engines are routinely subjected to various load conditions such as acceleration, idling, varying loads etc. In the past and into the present time there has been an increased emphasis on economy, increasing mileage per gallon and on reducing the weight of motor vehicles.
A U.S. patent of Gamache, U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,757 discloses a variable horse power output gearing for a piston engine. As disclosed, a piston engine has at least one cylinder and one piston, a crankshaft and gearing apparatus that has a set of two or more traveling gears fixed together which are rotating on a crank that belongs to: 1) either the crankshaft itself, 2) either an extended part of the crankshaft, or 3) to an auxiliary shaft which is geared to the crankshaft. One of the traveling gears is of irregular design and travels in a periodical way against a non-rotating internally toothed ring. The second traveling gear is of regular form and meshes with a rotating output ring, which in turn drives an output shaft which can be used as an output instead of the regular crankshaft and provides an alternate non regular pattern of piston displacement relative to output shaft rotation. The gearing apparatus provides a volume expansion rate in the cylinder which is conductive to efficient combustion.
Notwithstanding the above, there has been a continuing effort by engineers and scientists to develop new technology and improve on existing technology to produce significant improvements in the field of transportation and more particularly in internal combustion engines and transmissions. Therefore, it is presently believed that there is a need and a potential commercial market for an improved power transmission for motor vehicles or the like in accordance with the present invention.
It is presently believed that the power trains, engine and transmissions in accordance with the present invention will reduce the weight of the power train by eliminating the crankshaft and fly wheel from the power train. Further, it is believed that the engines and power trains will be more efficient than conventional power trains, will be durable, reduce space requirements by combining the engine and transmission and reduce manufacturing costs for motor vehicles.
In essence, it is believed that the efficiency of the present invention engines is higher than existing engines. The size and weight of the engine gear box assembly will be relatively small as the gear box, including a fly wheel and a crankshaft, have been eliminated. It is also believed that lubrication of the engine and gear box separately will be replaced by a single sump. Further the cooling system of the engines cylinders is also extended to the gear box in order to reduce the temperature so that the life of the gear trains will be high. Further, the use of roller bearings between the connecting rod and pinion gear will reduce friction and heat so that the torque loss is low. In addition, the design of the present engine may incorporate removeable types of cylinders so that it will be easy to change cylinders in the event of wear and that such replacement can be done at a relatively small cost particularly with respect to the cost for replacing an engine. Still further, while applying brake, the main drive will be disengaged from the gear box so that the stored energy will not be transferred. Also, the present engine should reduce the possibility of leakage of oil, decrease engine vibration and noise and it will be of compact size.
Further advantages to the power train engine and gear train in accordance with the present invention reside in higher efficiency, size and weight of the engine gear box assembly, elimination of the crankshaft and fly wheel and an opportunity to extend the engine cooling system to the gear box in order to reduce the temperature of the gear box. It is also contemplated to use roller bearings between the connecting rod and piston to reduce further heat and torque loss. In addition, it is contemplated that the design of the power train in accordance with the present invention reduces the likelihood of oil leakage and the need of oil seals and will decrease vibration and noise.